


Drunken Boners

by radama



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alcohol, Also background IvanMylene and RoseJuleka, Aromantic Character, Asexual Character, But they aren’t end game or anything soooo, End game is hella gaaaay, F/F, F/M, Friends With Benefits, Guess who, It’s the fandom’s favourite AroAce, I’ll give you a hint, M/M, One sided Adrinino, One sided NathLix, Technically there is some KimAlix in there, They’re always canon in my heart, Unrequited Love, aroace character, i mean kinda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2018-10-29 10:27:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10852086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/radama/pseuds/radama
Summary: For two and a half years Nino and Nathanael were content to let things be, to simply accept that Adrien and Alix would never feel the same way, that they would always just be watching from the sidelines, unable to really cheer them on with their love lives.And they were perfectly content in their own little relationship, the arrangement they had going on satisfied them just fine, the insisted.But one drunken night at a graduation party may just change that, all thanks to one not so innocent game of Truth or Dare.





	1. Let the Games Begin

Ah, wine.

Such a staple of the stereotypical French diet, a shitty nectar of the drunken Gods that Nino was sure he was never going to like the taste of, no matter how many times a very drunk Marinette insisted upon it's perfection.

Still, it was a wonderful social lubricant and had the wonderful side effect of making one forget about all those pesky barriers, of losing track of every little reason and excuse one made to keep themselves from doing spectacularly stupid things.  
Like, per say, getting a group of pleasantly drunk adults (though most would argue that being in your twenties didn’t REALLY count as being an adult), to agree to certain very cliché teenage party games. Namely, Truth or Dare, suggested by none over than Alya Césaire herself, which was surprising to exactly nobody.

Nino couldn't help but be a little sour about it though, even as he sat in the circle with the rest of his former middle school classmates from Miss Bustier’s class, between said game master and Nathanael.  
If he knew Alya as well as he thought he did, and considering how she was one of his best friends, second only to Adrien and the red head beside him, he was pretty damned sure he did, Nino was sure she had plans. Plans that probably involved getting Marinette and Adrien to smooch, a lot.  
And hey, to be fair, he'd been a part of those plans, once upon a time.

But that was years ago, back before his feelings for a certain blond best friend of his had gotten wildly out of control and when he'd been able to shove them to the side for the sake of what he thought was Adrien's happiness.  
It turned out that, no matter how hard he tried to be that truly supportive friend that he otherwise was twenty four seven, he just couldn't bring himself to cheer on the awkward, slowly budding relationship between Marinette and Adrien. 

At least he wasn't alone in his bitterness.

Nino turned to his right, following Nathanael's gaze as he leant heavily into his side, cheap wine sloshing around dangerously in an equally cheap plastic cup as the artist heavily sighed.  
There was no surprises when he found who his partner was staring at.  
Kim and Alix sat side by side, heavily involved in a very passionate argument about who was going to ‘smash, dominate and totally fucking win’ the yet to have started game. To Kim’s left sat Max, groaning as he tried to get a word in and explain that, no, there was no winners, this wasn't THAT sort of game and holy heck did he need better friends, or to be so much drunker.  
Maybe both.

Nathanael had confided in Nino about his little crush on the boisterous pinkette when they'd first started lycée together and ended up in the same Philosophy class. He'd sorta just… blurted it out during break, when he'd mistaken a playful wink and grin from Nino as some sort of flirting, and in a momentary nerve wracking bout of panic, he’d confessed.  
It had left his friend confused for a good moment, as he muttered an awkward ‘uh, good for you, dude?’.  
One spluttering conversation and a good natured pat on the back later, Nino had offered to confess his own crush to Nathanael, if only to make him feel better. It was an offer that he took, and thus a little secret based bond was formed.

From there things had sorta evolved, from classmates to friends to something much more _intimate_ once they’d left high school. Neither could really remember how it started, but during one night together of couch based, blanket sharing cuddling, with a relatively shitty rom com playing in the background, it had just sort of happened.  
One moment they were just close friends, whining to one another about their shitty ass love lives and how they were going no where fast while they were still very much into their surely unrequited crushes.  
The next their lips were smashed together, kissing one another with a fervent heat and a certain deeply rooted desperation that neither of them would dare to address out loud.

Later they had both admitted that they hadn't known where all that had come from, yet they both didn't exactly regret it. In fact, it was the opposite. They very much wanted to continue, to have a relationship with one another on a purely physical level.  
A friends with benefits, sort of deal. A deal they were both totally behind.

For the last two and a half years they'd been just that.  
For the last two and a half years they'd been content in that.  
For the last two and a half years they'd been lying to themselves.

Of course it wasn't enough.  
Naturally, they craved more, craved a bond with more meaning, more intimacy, more romance. To be loved and loved in turn, as sappy as it sounded.  
Soft, lingering kisses, filled with affection and adoration.  
Warm smiles that were just for them, that filled one to the brim with sunlight and giggles and a pattering of a song that was just for them.  
Hands brushing together, touches so casually given and received, just for the excuse to touch one another, to be close, to be together.

And although they could fulfil one another's desires in the bedroom, they couldn't give the other what they so desperately desired: love.  
Dear gods did that feel pathetic.

Nino was roused from his pity fest by his shoulder being shaken, and Nathanael's half smile.

“The game's about to start,” the tipsy ginger whispered to him, and Nino took note of how the circle had hushed at Alya's insistence.  
A smirk pulled at her lips, as she raised her cup and cleared her throat dramatically.

“Alright nerds, listen up! We all know the rules, right? What kind of self respecting trial adult DOESN’T know how this shit works?” Alya barked out a laugh and from beside her, Marinette drunkenly giggled, her cheeks flushed a deep red from all the wine her best friend had kept on so generously pouring for her.

“But hey, I'm a generous person here, a kind, understanding individual-“ It was Nino's turn to respond, snorting with a roll of his eyes and earning a cushion to the face.

“As I was saying. Because I'm super nice, I'll lay down the basics. Pick a person, give them the choice. The person is allowed to deny a dare or refuse to answer a question, BUT they have to do a penalty. Tonight's penalties have been provided by Lila, and I can assure you all that you'd probably prefer to avoid them at all costs. Like, seriously girl, some of these are just plain evil.”

Lila just looked terribly proud of herself and she puffed her chest out with a confident smile.  
“I even bought the hair dye, wasabi and ‘the gown’ myself.”

A collective shudder went through the room at the mentioning of the dreaded piece of cloth.  
The memories of it still burned in their minds to this very day and haunted their dreams with it awful design, garish colours, the smell, the scratchy feel and what most of them were sure was the curse that it held.  
Poor Miss Bustier had never been quite the same since she'd worn it for their end of collège celebration.

“No backs and forths. No ganging up on a single person. Nothing leaves this room. No judging, no mocking, blah blah blah. You get it. Be decent people and it'll all be fine. Now, as I suggested this game, I'll go first,” Alya hummed, smiling in a way that was entirely devious and that Nino didn't trust one bit.  
Yep, she definitely had a plan.

He glanced over at Nathanael and their eyes met, right as Kim threw an arm around Alix and laughed, while Adrien laid a hand upon Marinette’s shoulder and offered a comforting squeeze.  
There was just enough alcohol in each of them, and just enough of their wits left between them that within seconds they had each thought up their own devious plan, one that would assure that the other didn't leave this party without at least little material for him to fantasise about.  
Twin grins pulled at their lips, and the boys turned back to pay attention to the game, mischievous determination written all over their faces.

“Hmmm… Adrien. Truth or dare?”


	2. Tipsy Truths and Drunken Dares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I’m back with this.  
> Yeah.  
> I think I’ve finally figured out the direction I wanna go with this, so hopefully it won’t be another almost year before I update again!  
> Anywaaaay, enjoy~ ❤️

Adrien jolted, seemingly shocked that he’d been chosen first. Honestly, with how long he’d known Alya he REALLY should of been expecting this.  
Yet here he was, pointing at himself with wide, unblinking eyes.

“M-Me?” he asked, stumbling over his words thanks to the aid of five glasses of wine. Marinette took pity on him, patting the confused blond upon the shoulder.

“Yes, you, Adrien. You have to pick one,” she gently told him, watching as he gave a slow nod of comprehension.  
Right, truth or dare.

“Um... truth?” Adrien smiled weakly, catching how Alya’s lips pulled into a hefty pout. Was there something wrong with what he’d picked? Was there some kind of unwritten rule that you were meant to pick dare first?

Alya gave a heavy sigh, finishing off her cup of wine before just grabbing a nearby open bottle and chugging.  
A power move if Adrien had ever seen one, and it honestly left him feeling kinda intimidated.

“Fiiiiiine. Way to be boring, Wonder Boy,” she whined, catching Marinette send her a weary look. Alya waved her off, clearly unbothered.  
Heeeey, she had this! She totally had this! There was no need for looks like that!   
“Okay, okaaaaaay. Sunshine Child, if given the chance, would you totally kiss the cute ass girl beside you? You know who I’m talking about, I wanna know if you’d make out with my girl Marinette!”

It was like someone had dropped an antique vase, shattering it to the point of no repair in a dead silent room.  
The tension hung thick in the air, almost suffocating, yet no one dared to speak. This was the chance to get answers, to see a resolution to a relationship too many fucking years in the making.

Adrien’s face burned, bright as Ladybug’s suit and matching Marinette’s own face perfectly. If looks could kill Alya would be dead from the one her best friend was currently shooting her... not that said bestie cared.  
How could she when Adrien was starting to splutter and fidget, clearly squirming under her gaze?

“I-I... That’s a- Why are you?” How the heck was he meant to answer that with Marinette sitting RIGHT NEXT TO HIM? There was no way he could say it, right?  
But if he didn’t...  
Adrien couldn’t dye his hair, not with the modelling contract he had. Eating wasabi was also out of the question, he still struggled to handle some of the spicer dishes that Nino’s mother was always trying to stuff him full of.  
And the gown, well, Adrien still had his dignity.

“.... Yes. I-I mean, who wouldn’t? Marinette is pretty and kind and talented and amazing! Everyone would want to kiss her, given the chance!”   
There was a series of mumbling agreements, virtually everyone agreeing that, yeah, they totally would. 

All but Marinette herself, who was far too busy doing her best to imitate a freshly ripened tomato. 

“A fair answer, young Agreste. For this, I’ll forgive you taking so long to admit that you totally wanna mack on my boo,” Alya playfully winked over at Adrien, who was suddenly far more interested in his drink than he was the rest of the party. As was Marinette, who was currently trying to disappear into a pile of cushions and attempt not to die of embarrassment.

The mood was entirely different over with Nino and Nathanael, the former glowering into his cup as the latter patted his shoulder sympathetically.

“O’ course he wants to kiss her, cute, adorkable, nice Marinette... Can’t even be bitter about it, I mean, it’s Marinette! You’d have to be heartless to hate her for it,” Nino bemoaned, curling into Nathanael’s side. The tipsy ginger, bless his soul, just wrapped his arms around him, drink long since abandoned.

To the rest of the room they looked the perfect picture of an adorable couple, all cuddly and wrapped up in each other. Rose even pulled out her phone to snap a shot, eager to share it on her ‘cutest couples’ blog.

“Hey... Just because he wants to kiss her, doesn’t mean you’re out of luck. I mean, you can want to kiss more than one person at a time, and it doesn’t mean you have feelings for them...” Nathanael tried to argue, even as he watched Nino grumble and bury his face right into his shoulder, glasses digging into the ginger’s shoulder.  
Not that he said anything about it.

Because he understood that pain, that piercing ache that shot through oneself as you watched someone you’d loved for so long drifting closer and closer to someone else. It hurt, knowing you had next to no chance.

But the night wasn’t over yet!

“Don’t worry, Ni. I’ve got this!”

Man, all of a sudden Nathanael looked determined as all heck. It was enough to pull Nino out of his funk, to drag him from his little pity party and return to reality.   
Right! The night was still young! How could he just give up so soon? When Nino had a goal, a dream, he always went for it, full force. Giving up wasn’t an option.

So he drew from Nathanael’s determination, just managing to match his energy and reach down to take his hand.  
Nino watched as his expression softened, and felt his heart lighten as Nathanael squeezed his hand in turn. Funny how he always managed that, lifting the weight that weighed down Nino’s heart and leaving him feeling all fluttery.

It was with that fluffy feeling filling him that the pair turned their attentions back to the game.  
The rounds flew by, truths and dares thrown around with tipsy laughs and drunken giggle snorts, the whole room only growing more and more intoxicated as the minutes ticked by.

Mylène admitted to finding spiders cute.  
Max ate a croissant filled with toothpaste... which he swiftly threw up.  
Rose sat in Lila’s lap for three rounds, well, more straddled, as the dare stated.  
Alya pretended to suck off one of Marinette’s mannequins, to which most of the class whooped and cheered.  
Sabrina took a penalty instead of admitting who her first kiss had been, and ended up with a mouthful of wasabi.  
Kim did a strip tease for a stone faced Ivan, while Ivan agreed to spend the rest of the game dressed as fairy princess Batman.

All in all, it was turning out to be a VERY successful game of truth and dare.

Fairy Princess Batman, sparkly pink tutu adjusted just so and glitter bomb adorned tiara perched delicately upon his head, sat himself back down. His deadpan gaze slid across the room, landing upon Alix.

“Truth or dare, Pinkie.”

Oh how she smirked, a perfect picture of confidence as she answered without a moments hesitation.  
It was like she was BORN for this. Which was exactly how Alix was feeling.

“Hit me with a dare, Sparkle Stone! And make it a good one, I feel like dominating these bitches!” Alix announced as she jumped up, thumping a hand upon her chest. There was no dare she wouldn’t take, no feat she couldn’t complete. At least that was what she thought until...

“Kiss Kim. On the lips. For at least ten seconds.”   
Ivan felt a slight smirk pull at his lips, as a dead silence fell over the room. All eyes were on the pinkette, who looked beyond flabbergasted.

Nathanael sat there, frozen like a deer caught in headlights. Surely Alix wouldn’t accept a dare like that, right? She had to have limits, right?  
He should have known that he was lying to himself. The moment Nath felt safe, that he thought that Alix was gonna take the penalty, she was pulling Kim up by the scruff of his sweatshirt and kissing him with the same energy a stripper who had to make this week’s rent held.

Poor Kim looked about as shell shocked blank as Marinette’s mannequin, and stood just as still and stiff. That was, until he snapped back to reality, kissing her back fiercely, never one to let the girl get the better of him.  
Which was how a ten second meeting of lips turned into a competitive, high powered make out session, neither one backing down.

All Nathanael could do was watch, as Nino pulled him in close and into a warm, comforting embrace.  
It hurt.   
Fuck did it hurt.

“Don’t give up yet, Nath. We’ve still got this bro, we’ve still got this...”


	3. Quick Update

Soooo, just so you all know, I went back and edited the last two chapters~  
I’ve upped everyone’s ages to 21-22, instead of roughly 18. Because it felt weird even mentioning minors fucking, even though, ya know, that’s a normal thing.  
That’s pretty much it!

I’ll post the next chapter soon~


	4. High and Low

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here it is, as promised~ Just a reminder that I edited the previous two chapters to up everyone’s ages to 21-22~! Anyway, enjoy!

Alix stood triumphant after her dare had been completed as Kim sat there with his arms crossed, pouting at having been dominated by the spunky pinkette.

“Good try, Princess Tutu,” she told Ivan with a smirk, hands falling to her hips as she took on a firm stance. “But not even kissing Kimberly could take me outta the running!”

“… That is not how- oh I give up,” uttered Max in defeat as he downed the rest of his drink. There was no point in trying to convince them that there was no competition at this point and everyone knew it.

Ivan simply rolled his eyes and shrugged.

“Wasn’t trying to make you quit. Just wanted to see if you’d do it.”

“Of course I would! I’d strip and climb the Eiffel Tower if it meant rubbing victory in Kim’s face!” 

“Hey!” Kim piped up with, pouting into his cup. “I could totally one up you on that! Like climbing the tower naked… with Max on my back!”

“Oh yeah? Well I co-“ 

Before Alix could even finish Alya was loudly clearing her throat, catching the attention of the whole room.

“One, no one wants to hear your little dick measuring contest guys, and yes, I mean you too, Alix. Even if we all know you have the biggest dick out of anyone here,” she started with, giving a moments pause to let the sea of drunken personalities mummer in agreement, minus Kim who huffed and crossed his arms.

“Two, Alix. You know the rules. Pick a bitch!”

There was a brief moment of silence, as Alix’s eyes, unfocused as they were after five cups of wine, darted around the room. They slid from person to person until finally, they landed on Nathanael.

“Okay, Ging! Truth or dare!”

That shook Nathanael from his little cuddle therapy session of mild heartbreak, eyes blowing wide as he realised Alix was talking to him, that she’d picked HIM. He almost went to say truth on reflex, the answer he always had given when poised with such a question. But a quick little nudge from Nino had him quickly changing his mind.

“U-Um, dare. Yeah, dare me, Alix!” Nathanael stammered out, hoping that his braver choice would earn him a few brownie points with the love of his life. It seemed like his choice had paid off, as Alix gave an approving nod in his direction.

“Wise choice, Carrot Top. Everyone knows when playing truth or dare that picking dare is the only way to go,” she stated, as though it were solid fact and not just her own opinion. “Now, what to dare ya…”

Not even a second had passed before Sabrina crawled over, trying to keep her drunken giggles to herself, and she tugged on Alix’s shirt. The pinkette crouched down and let her friend whisper into her ear, electric blue eyes lighting up as the bespectacled woman pulled away with a wide smile.

“Sabrina, you fucking genius,” Alix uttered in awe, watching as Sabrina crawled her way back over to Chloé, who by this point had fallen asleep, curled up like a cat on a pile of cushions where her friend stopped and rejoined her.

“Nathanael, you can thank Dorkarella over there for this one later. I dare you… to be my chair for the night! I wanna sit on your shoulders so I can be the tallest bitch in this room!” she declared, standing straight and short once more.

And, well, how could Nathanael say no to that? A whole night that close to Alix, with her up on his shoulders like someone’s lover might at a concert when they couldn’t see very well.

… Actually that was something Nino had done for him at a couple of Magma concerts, as the guy knew just how much Nathanael loved their stuff and how bummed out he was by his less than amazing height.  
At least puberty had been kind enough to him to put him at Nino’s nose in height, and cruel enough to his friend to not let Nino grow all that much taller.

“I’ll do it!” Nathanael shouted, surprising even himself with just how loud he was. Huh, he hadn’t even known he could BE that loud. Maybe it was all that wine. That sweet, sweet wine...

There was no time wasted by Alix, who stumbled over to the red headed man to stand before him. It took a few attempts and a couple of badly suppressed snickers from Nino to egg her on, but finally she sat triumphant upon her ginger throne.   
Nathanael’s cheeks burned, both from the alcohol that clouded his mind, and the warmth of Alix’s soft thighs that sat pressed to his cheeks. Man, he never thought he’d get a shot like this, yet here he was, surely in heaven.

Nino threw him a swift thumbs up and a terribly hidden wink, to which Nathanael replied with a wide, breathless smile.

… Oh man did that smile make coming to this party worth it, thought Nino, as his heart did a funny little jump. A purely _platonic_ jump, of course. Sure, he was fairly gay these days, pretty much only being attracted to dudes and the occasional woman who looked like she could kick his ass, and Nathanael was a HELLA cute guy. Like man, puberty had gifted the guy with the kind of hotness that Nino had thought only famous people were gifted with.

Though really, it was Nathanael’s smile that he really loved.

But that didn’t mean he had feelings for him. Nah, they were just fuck buddies, simple and plain. You know, just fuck buddies who liked to cuddle a lot. Who liked to sometimes hold hands and casually kiss. Just a couple of dudes who nearly always shared a bed. And hung out together, a lot. 

Nino just liked making him smile, bringing any kind of joy he could to his favourite redhead. It always brought him a certain warmth that left Nino smiling too. But that wasn’t weird, right? No, of course not.  
They were just friends. Friends with benefits.

Just FRIENDS.  
Who FUCKED.  
With NO FEELINGS ATTACHED.  
Yeah.

Besides, Nino was still in love with Adrien. 

Though that was looking as hopeless as ever, as Marinette and Adrien sat side by side, giggling and cooing over something that Alya was currently showing them on her phone.   
Something with kittens in cosplays? 

Nino sighed, grabbing his cup and drowning his sorrows in another mouthful of cheap, shitty wine, before grabbing a half empty bottle and refilling his cup. Man, he wasn’t drunk enough for this kind of moping yet.

Not that he was given much time to mope, as Nathanael elbowed him gently, grabbing his attention.

“Uh, yeah? Sorry man, wasn’t listening,” Nino muttered in apology, to which Nath replied with an understanding smile.

“I said truth or dare, Ni.”

Oh. Right. The game. Duh.  
Well, there was no way in hell he was picking truth, even if it was only Nathanael asking the question. Everyone knew truth was the quickest way to have all your most deep and embarrassing secrets spilled for all to mock you with.  
Which left the obvious.

“Dare, bro. Gimme something good.”

Of course dares weren’t exactly the strong point of the artistic man. A lot of things he could think of were just mean or gross, the kind of things typical teenage boys took glee in daring each other to do for ‘manliness points’. Or they were just plain boring, like singing Barbie Girl at the top of your lungs.  
But as Nathanael watched Nino’s gaze drift back over to a certain blond, he realised he hadn’t needed to try and think so hard at all.

“I dare you… to make out with Adrien. For a full minute.”

Once more a hush fell over the room as fourteen pairs of eyes turned to stare at Nathanael, including Alix from atop his shoulders and Nino himself.  
Although his face burned from the attention he sat firm, refusing to change what he’d said. Thus the attention turned to Adrien and Nino, drifting between them as two men slowly made eye contact.

Honestly it was hard to say who was blushing hardest at this point. Adrien’s face was red enough that it was putting Ladybug’s suit to shame, yet Nino’s cheeks were radiating enough heat that one would be forgiven for mistaking his face for a small sun.

It was Adrien who spoke up first, channeling his inner Chat Noir in an attempt to fix such a suffocatingly awkward situation.

“I- I’m game if you are, Nino, if that’s what you’re worried about. I mean, we’re friends, best bros! What’s a little tongue been best friends, right?” he asked with a roughish grin, eyebrows waggling in such a way that Nino couldn’t help but laugh, a warm, snort peppered sound that broke through the awkward air and had the whole room breathing again.

Nathanael had always loved that laugh… Not like he loved Alix, of course! Like in a friendly way, like how the smile of someone you cared about could light up your whole day, could make the saddest of days just that little bit brighter.  
But, you know, _platonically_ , naturally. 

It wasn’t like you had love someone in THAT way to justify adoring parts of them, right? So it was totally normal for Nathanael’s favourite sound to be Nino’s laugh, for him to play it over and over in his head whenever he was down.

Yeah. Nothing strange about that. Or schmaltzy. They were just really close friends! Just the kind that, uh, slept together sometimes. Well, more than sometimes, really… and it wasn’t always sex. Sometimes it was just kissing or cuddling, just curling up together to watch a musical (which Nino always got SO into, and there wasn’t much more that Nathanael loved to watch than the brunet passionately singing his heart out along with his favourite characters, but like, in a no romo way).

Totally no romo.  
Right.

His heart belonged to Alix after all, who from his shoulders gave an excited whoop as Adrien shuffled over towards them, stopping only once he was mere inches away from Nino.

“Hurry up and kiss him, Pretty Boy!” Alix drunkenly cried out, wobbling from her throne, who took a few seconds to shakily steady her.

Said pretty boy threw Nino an apologetic look, as though this whole dare were his fault and not a sneaky plan from Nathanael to get his bed buddy to finally steal a smooch from the man he’d secretly loved since high school.

From across the room Alya glared daggers at Nathanael, and Marinette was doing an awful terrible job at hiding the fact that she was INSANELY jealous that Nino would be kissing Adrien, especially before she’d had the chance to so much as hold his hand!

Yet despite all that Nino still leaned in, whispering as he did.

“Ready when you are, broski,” he uttered nervously, right before Adrien pulled him in for the kiss he’d always been dreaming of.

Speaking of dreams, holy FUCK did this feel like one! Adrien’s arms were locked around his waist, as Nino’s had found their way around the blond’s neck, with one hand buried in those beautiful golden locks that he’d always wanted to tug on as he screamed his best friend’s name.  
Their lips moved together in a clumsy, yet frenzied dance, peppered with little smacks and the occasional tiny gasp that Nino couldn’t be assed smothering.

Honestly if Nino were to have had his way they would of continued kissing like that forever, in a pleasantly warm haze that’d have Nino believing they were lovers. But as a minute came to an end Adrien pulled away, clearly not dazed as he was, and ended their make out session promptly.

“Guess we can say we officially have a bromance now, huh?” Adrien joked, his chuckle breaking any tension that had built up during their kiss.  
“I feel like I should say ‘no homo’, but I hate how homophobic that sounds… so, no romo?”

That earned a snort from Juleka, who raised her head from where it had been resting in Rose’s lap, receiving only the gentlest and most loving of head pats from her very cute girlfriend.

“All the homo and all the romo,” she said in perfect deadpan, before turning a tiny smile up to Rose, who bent down to capture her lips in the sweetest of giggly kisses.

“Maybe for you two, but Nino and I, we’re not- uh, no wait, I’M not gay. At all. I, um… I like girls? Just girls. Um, yeah. I guess we have that in common?” Adrien replied, as he crawled his way back over to Marinette, who at that admission looked a lot less jealous and a heck of a lot more sympathetic towards Nino. As did Alya, who’d gone from glaring daggers to calming the heck down to looking almost apologetic as she caught Nino’s expression falling from an elated sort of loved struck gaze right down to heart break.

He was quick to plaster on a smile though, as Nino pretended as though he was entirely unfazed by what Adrien had said.  
Nathanael wasn’t fooled for a second.

“Guess we couldn’t expect Ivan and Mylène to be the group’s only confirmed straights,” Nino commented with a laugh that was just that bit too forced, though it went unnoticed by all but the ginger sitting beside him.

“Speaking of straights, I’m totally throwing the truth or dare question back to you, Alix!” 

Hey, at least this way he could throw some hope Nathanael’s way. Sure, his own heart had been totally crushed by the revelation that Adrien would never, ever be attracted to him thanks to what he’d been born with between his legs and his total comfort with having said genitalia. But that didn’t mean they’d both have to leave this party feeling shitty, right?

Nino was broken from his thoughts by Alix’s laugh, watching at the pinkette clung to Nathanael’s head in rambunctious laughter, tears of mirth stinging at her eyes.

“Me, straight? That’s rich! Heck, me in a relationship, period! Sorry to burst your bubble, DJ, but this chick is AroAce to the core. The only orgasm I want is the foodgasm I get from eating a whole plate of chilli cheese fries by myself, and the only ship for me is myself and adrenaline pumping action! I think this month’s fling will be me and climbing a mountain, if Kimmy and Max are still game to try mountain climbing with me.”

Kim shot Alix a thumbs up without a single iota of surprise, having already known about Alix’s lack of romantic and sexual desires. As had Max, who opened a sleepy eye from where he’d been resting his head against Kim’s shoulder, and slowly nodded.

“I have… already arranged transportation an’… and accomodations for us in Switzerlan’…” Max muttered sleepily, as Kim scooped him up into his arms and lay him over a shoulder.

“I think Max and I should be going. Guy’s about to straight up pass out,” Kim said, showing a responsibility that had come with age for him.  
Alix sighed, climbing down from Nathanael’s shoulders and raising her arms for Kim to pick her up.

“Legs are wobbly. Think you can carry me too, Meat Head?” she asked with affectionate teasing, of which earned her a serious hair mussing before Kim obliged, picking her up.  
“Later, guys!” Alix called on out, as everyone waved and gave their goodbyes to the trio.

Nathanael deflated, leaning into Nino’s side as the party started to wind down.

Ivan and Mylène left next, all dopey smiles and lovey dovey schmaltz as they departed due to tiredness, they said, though the room suspected they just wanted a little alone time.

Then Sabrina and Chloé, with the former half dragging the latter out of the apartment and into a waiting limousine to take them back to their own respective homes.

Juleka and Rose were the next pair to go, giggling all the while and swapping kiss after kiss. They went home only after Rose had hugged every person in the room, while drunkly declaring how much she adored them all (though not as much as her Juleka of course!).

Lila took her leave by herself, taking with her the dreaded gown and a half empty bottle of wine to share with her husband waiting at home for her.

Which left just the five of them.

There was a good minute of silence, as they sat in Marinette’s bedroom which was feeling larger and larger by the moment, now that most of the party guests were gone. But before the host could even clear her throat and announce that the party was over now, and that anyone remaining could totally stay the night if they wanted to, Nino pushed himself up and stretched.

“Welp. Guess Nath and I better get outta here too. It’s hella late and my bed is calling to me,” he said suddenly, feigning a nonchalance that he most certainly didn’t feel.

“You don’t have to go! You can both stay here, everyone can, I don’t mind!” Marinette cried out frantically, worried that her friends felt they had to go. Alya reached over and lay a drunken, sagely hand on her best friend’s shoulder.

“Chill boo. If they wanna go, then let them. But I’ll take you up on that offer, there’s no way I’m even attempting to go home like this.”

Adrien gave a small nod, before laying his own hand upon Marinette’s free shoulder.

“I will too. I don’t want to even try sneaking into my dorm like this. My roommate might actually make good on his threats to kill me if I wake him again,” Adrien half joked. His university roommate was a pretty scary guy when his sleep was disturbed, though otherwise Luka was pretty chill.

That just left Nathanael, who with Nino’s help, pulled himself to stand.

“I’m with Ni. I miss my bed. I’ll… we’ll see you all later,” he uttered, faking a yawn for good measure. The trio simply nodded and gave their goodbyes, plus warnings to get home safely. Though Alya’s warning was more of a strange death treat to ‘double murder’ their ghosts if they didn’t make it home alive.

Which they did, after one very quiet and heavy taxi ride, and a silent assent up seven flights of stairs, they were finally left standing in front of their apartment door.  
Nothing was said as Nino unlocked the door, and that same silence followed them through the lounge and into their shared bedroom.

Together they flopped on their bed, backs to each other for a good solid minute as they lay there.

Nathanael was the first one to crack, a soft whimper of a cry slipping from his lips as tears misted his vision. Near instantly arms were around him from behind, Nino’s body wrapping around him and pulling him in close as Nathanael rolled over and buried his face in his chest as he cried his aching heart out.

When he heard a muffled sob amongst his own, Nathanael near instantly returned the embrace. He curled himself around Nino as best he could, until they were a tangled mess of limbs and tears, clinging to each other as they both did the best they could to nurse the other’s broken heart.


	5. Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

The sun had long been up when Nathanael woke to the smell of apple and cinnamon pancakes. The smell wafted through the small apartment, making his mouth water and forcing exhausted pools of swirling turquoise open. He grumbled to himself as ever so slowly Nathanael pushed himself up.

It was then he noticed just how cold the bed was in absence of the eternal warmth that was Nino Lahiffe. A soft sigh left his lips as he rubbed at his eyes and made a grab for his phone, nearly dead after a night with no charging. Damn. He guessed his usual habit had gotten lost among a night of self pity and heartbreak, of tears and sobs and strained ‘why?’s. The alcohol probably hadn’t helped either.

Still the screen lit up, informing Nathanael that it was well past noon. He groaned and pulled himself from bed.

“Nino?” he called out while shuffling around the room, trying to find someone clean to wear. Both of them had fallen ill before Marinette’s party and may have fallen behind on the chores. To put it lightly, it looked like a small hurricane had swept through their shared bedroom.

No reply was given, so Nathanael took his time getting dressed. He found a clean Magma shirt tucked in the back of his closet and a pair of sweatpants he’d only worn once. Dressed, he trudged down the hall past the bathroom and what should of been the second bedroom but had been instead converted into a small studio for them both. 

At the end he found the source of the divine smell coming from the tiny kitchenette in their lounge room. In it, in front of the stove, stood Nino. Nathanael noted with amusement that the man hadn’t even bothered to get dressed, instead opting to simply cook in his TMNT boxers and the handmade Daft Punk apron that Marinette had gifted the man three years ago. Nathanael still remembered how jazzed Nino had been over it.

“What are we celebrating?” Nath asked with a tired chuckle, watching in mild amusement as his roommate gave a slight yelp, jolting at his voice.

“Friggen hell, dude! You trying to give me a heart attack?” Nino moved the pan off the heat and sat one fluffy, golden brown pancake onto the pile beside him. The delicious stack called to him, and Nathanael couldn’t help but approach as his stomach gave an embarrassingly loud growl.

“Sorry, sorry. But it’s not everyday you make us pancakes, and it’s even rarer that you get so… fancy with them,” Nathanael paused, biting down on his lip. “Is this because of last night?”

Nino froze up, hand stopping mid pour of batter into a hot pan. His tongue dragged across his lips, a nervous habit of Nino’s that the ginger had taken note of two years ago.

“... It was a rough night for us both,” was his eventual answer. He gradually got back into the flow of pancake creation. “I just… I think we knew that we were kinda delusional, that nothing was gonna come of ridiculous feelings we’ve had since high school. But we just both wanted it so badly that we let ourselves be blinded by it, ya know?” Nino sighed heavily, body tense. It wasn’t exactly the answer Nathanael had been looking for, yet here it was.

“So when we let our guards down and gave it a shot…”

“It hit us like a raging akuma. I know.”

Silence flooded the room. For a moment the men didn’t make a sound, they hardly moved besides breathing. Then ever so slowly, Nathanael reached out, slipping slender arms around Nino’s waist. The effect was near instantaneous, and he felt the brunet basically melt at his touch, shuffling around to bury his face in Nathanael’s shoulder, glasses be damned.

“... So, these are pity party pancakes, huh?” Nath muttered after a moment’s quiet.

“Pretty much. I woke up still feeling cruddy, so I thought, fuck it, we deserve a hella nice breakfast,” Nino replied, his words muffled by the paint stained fabric of Nathanael’s shirt. Without a thought of it he breathed in deep through is nose, and was near instantly soothed by the smells of turpentine mixed with the faint, lingering aroma of the guy’s cherry and vanilla body wash. Strange how it always brought comfort to him.

“It smells pretty good,” Nathanael piped up after a moment of much needed hugging. He pulled away with a reassuring gentle smile and lead Nino to their small kitchen table, where he softly forced him to sit him down.  
“Just… take it easy for now, okay? You made breakfast, at least let me bring it to you.”

Nino went to fight him on that, wanting to argue that he’d made it, thus he’d serve it. But Nathanael was already returning with the stack and placing it in the middle of the table. So he just let him go, watching his friend flutter around their kitchen. 

He had to admit he’d always been a little jealous of Nathanael and how fluidly he moved. It was something Nino just hadn’t been able to master, despite his best efforts. His feet would always drag a little, causing him to stumble. 

“Thanks, man,” Nino finally said as Nathanael finished setting the table and sat down opposite him. He got a smile in return that made his stomach do funny little flips, which he decided were entirely the fault of last night’s drinking.

Yeah… that... 

“You’re the one that did the cooking. I just set the table for us,” Nathanael reminded him, reaching across the table to jab at his arm right as Nino was reaching out for the slowly cooling pancakes. This earned him a soft chuckle, one that had Nath’s heart a flutter.

“How about we both did a good job, ‘kay?”

They both agreed on that and in a comfortable silence a stack of twelve apple cinnamon pancakes was slowly devoured between them.

 

————————————————

 

It was five hours later when they’d both been snuggled together on their shitty second hand couch that things had come to a head. With their limbs tangled together as though they were one person, Nathanael had finally broached the subject again.

“I feel like I should of known. Like I should of seen the signs…” he uttered, his attention barely on the musical they’d been watching. Not that he didn’t mind watching Rent for the one thousandth time. No, he loved the movie just as much as Nino did. 

But it was hard to pay attention to that with everything on his mind, with his thoughts such a muddled mess. He could tell Nino wasn’t feeling much better, if his lack of singing along was any indication. Which it was. His friend ALWAYS sung along to any and all musicals.

“I mean, she’s never dated anyone before. Or showed any interest in anyone. I… Should I have seen it? Was it that obvious from the start that Alix would never…” Nathanael trailed off, tears stinging at his eyes. Before he could even attempt to wipe them away Nino’s hands was cupping his cheeks, gentle thumbs flicking his sorrows away.

“Love makes everyone dumb and blind, Nath. I don’t think you coulda seen it, not with how deeply in you were. But that’s okay, man. You don’t gotta beat yourself up for what you didn’t see. It just… It wasn’t meant to be,” Nino paused, his heart wrenching as he heard the ginger give a tiny, breaking whimper.

“But you’re fucking amazing, okay? You’re easily the most passionate, patient, compassionate, thoughtful guy I know, Nathanael. Any guy or girl would be lucky to have ya!” 

Nathanael bit back a confusing sob, unsure if it was from the heartbreak or Nino’s genuinely heartwarming little speech.

“But until you find that someone who deserves someone as great as you are… I’m here. You know I’m here. I’ve got two shoulders for you to cry on and arms to hold you through all these cruddy feelings.” Nino smiled down at him, his lips exuding the same warmth his golden eyes cast upon him with their soft and endlessly caring gaze. “I’ve got you, Nath. I’ve got you…”

It was those last few words, whispered with such an intense amount of love, that had Nathanael sobbing his heart out, face buried in Nino’s chest as caramel arms wrapped themselves around him, holding Nath in their all encompassing embrace.

Strange how he could never feel worthless in Nino’s arms. Those arms that weren’t powerful or toned, but instead strong with support and a never ending love that Nathanael almost wished was something more than friendship. Arms that were always happy to drop anything to hold him, to rub his back or stroke his hair when upset or anxious, that held him close when afraid or when the night was cold and he sought Nino’s supply of eternal warmth.

How could he even remain upset even with the heartache, when those arms refused to so much as bow for him, relentless in their goal to bring Nathanael all the comfort he needed without a care for himself-

…. How had he so easily forgotten that Nino was suffering too? 

Nathanael inwardly scolded himself as he pulled away, furiously rubbing away his tears as he shot Nino a fierce and determined look.

“You always do this!” he suddenly declared, causing Nino to jolt and his eyes to widen, staring down at him with a look of complete and utter confusion.

“I don’t follow, Nath. What the heck are you on about?” Nino asked, worry starting to worm its way into his features, which only upset the ginger more.

“You’re doing it again!” Nathanael accused his friend, who only looked impossibly more confused and concerned. “You’re doing that thing where you just… you push aside your own feelings to take care of other people, to make sure everyone is okay before yourself! And that’s not fair, Ni! You’ve had a shitty time too, you got your heart broken just like I did! But here you are, comforting me like you aren’t hurting too!”

Slowly, Nino blinked, as realisation dawned on him. Nathanael wasn’t mad him, he didn’t do anything to upset him. No, the guy was upset because he’d put Nathanael before himself. It would of been laughable, had Nath not been so worked up about it.

“I don’t do it on purpose. It’s just… It’s what I do. I hate seeing you upset, Nath. It legit hurts me and when you’re hurting all I wanna do is just, I dunno, hug the pain away,” Nino muttered in his defence, scratching at the back of his neck nervously.

It certainly won him no favours with Nathanael, who looked like he was torn between slapping the fuck out of him and pulling him in for an aggressively comforting embrace. The latter won out as the ginger pulled him into his arms, forcing Nino’s face into his chest.

“It hurts me when you’re hurting too, Ni,” Nath mumbled, burying his face into those messy brunet locks that he loved so much. “And it makes me feel shitty when you just… neglect yourself for me. So it’s okay if you cry too, okay? If you want to complain about Adrien not liking you back or about how upset you are, I’m here for you too.”

Before Nino could even hope to reply, to interrupt and prove he was really fine, Nathanael was cutting in once more.

“No, you’re going to let me finish, Nino,” he said, voice firm. “You’re amazing. I’ve never met someone who cares as much as you do. Everything about you is warm and cosy and just… makes me want to smile. You said I’m the most passionate person you’ve ever met but that’s a lie! I know I can’t hold a candle to your passion for music, for movies, for your friends. You’re incredible, Ni, and you deserve better than your own stupid self neglecting ways.”

Nino felt his lip wibble and he had to bite down upon it to stop himself from letting out an emotional little cry. “If you’re trying to make me cry dude, you’re succeeding,” he muttered into Nathanael’s shirt as he snaked an arm between them and slipped of his glasses, tossing them onto the hand painted coffee table. Once free from the fear of badly smudging them he nuzzled his face into Nath’s chest and breathed in a deep, shuddering breath.

“... Thanks,” Nino whispered, before finally letting himself fall apart just a little in Nathanael’s arms. “But we don’t gotta take turns at this, you know?” He gave a watery laugh as he shuffled up a bit, so his head was resting in the crook of Nathanael’s neck. Then he tugged the ginger’s head down to do the same.

“See? We can both pathetically cry our eyes out until we feel marginally less shitty.”

A quiet chuckle fell from Nathanael’s lips in reply, yet he didn’t fight it. No, this- This was okay. This was good.

“What do you say to a round of crying, followed by tubs of icecream… and then a few rounds of ‘fuck the pain away’ sex?” Nath asked with dry laugh, to which Nino replied with a teary kiss to his neck and a hidden little smile.

“I’d say you know me too well, man,” Nino muttered before pulling back swiftly, only to dive right in and seal their lips together in a tear stained kiss.

Nathanael felt his heart flutter and his mind go blank, only briefly returning the affection due to some kind of automatic response. Nino’s face was then back in place, hidden away in the crook of Nathanael’s neck where he couldn’t see his friend’s face starting to glow as brightly as his own.


	6. Revelations

That one kiss had changed so much. Strange how one innocent meeting of lips, an action they’d done thousands of times before, could be so different now. What had once been such a casual, routine thing now held some kind of unknown meaning to the two of them.

That night had been awkward to say the least. Having to share a bed with someone who you were starting to feel particularly confused about was certainly an experience. That feeling was drastically upped when that person happened to be your ‘fuck buddy’ and you may or may not have had plans for fucking the pain away.

All had been silent as they’d both headed to bed that night, after an evening of silent movie watching and equally wordless ice cream consuming. Strangely enough their tears had dried up after that one brief moment of emotional intimacy. It was hard to focus on heart break when your heart was flittering away like a flock of fluttering butterflies.

Neither had known what to say or what to do. Should they both just ignore it? Just treat it as though it were any other kiss that meant nothing more than a moment of comfort shared between two aching hearts?

Dear god Nino wished he could do that, wished it had been nothing more than what it had always been. But with any hope of Adrien ever returning his feelings now shattered… Well, it was difficult to ignore just how Nathanael affected him. How perfectly their limbs would tangle, as though they were made to be intertwined. It was a ridiculously corny thought, Nino knew it, but still he couldn’t help but think as such. There were a lot of things he couldn’t help but think when it came to Nathanael.

Like how adorable it was when the ginger smiled, from the quirking of his lips (always softened by one particular cherry lip balm that was Nath’s absolute favourite), to the star like twinkling that lit up swirling oceans on the brightest of days, otherwise known as Nathanael’s eyes. Like fuck, he could so easily and happily drown in those eyes that always looked upon him with such gentle mirth.

Then there was Nathanael’s snark, a certain brand of humour that was dry and witty and always left Nino laughing at the most inappropriate of times. Yet he couldn’t begrudge Nath for that, not when he was always left waiting for another quip that would surely leave him grinning. Strange, he normally wasn’t a fan of such humour…

Of course, none of that could really compare to what truly caught his attention when it came to Nathanael, and that was his passion. Nothing drew Nino in more than when he got to watch him light up, as though a fire had been lit from within and was now absolutely ROARING, blazing through Nath and leaving him burning like the most glorious of bonfires.  
To get to witness something as spectacular as that, to be allowed to be swept up, left with nothing but an all encompassing awe as Nino watched Nathanael get right into the zone, it was beyond incredible.

Plus the work that he created, all the colours that bled into one another, the worlds that Nathanael brought to life… They created an experience that Nino could only try interpret through music, that drew him in in ways that only sound had ever managed to accomplish. How lucky was he to get to live in a place that was brimming with Nathanael’s passion, that covered everything from their walls to the tables and doors? 

Nino swallowed thickly as he broke from his thoughts, chancing a glance over at the man who lay beside him, earbuds in as he watched some video about Magma, Nathanael’s favourite band. They weren’t exactly what Nino liked listening to, being more of a fan of electronica himself, but he knew that his friend would do just about anything to see them live.   
Whiiiich may have been why Nino had stayed up all night long three weeks back just to snag them VIP tickets that he’d been saving up for for the past six months. The look of pure joy on Nathanael’s face would be worth the hundreds of bucks and lost sleep, easily.

Shit.

Realisation hit Nino almost as hard as the heartbreak had, though with twice the honest to god surprise. How the fuck had be managed to be so ridiculously, stupidly blind all over again? Why was it so hard to see what was right in front of his face? 

In the safety of his own mind Nino joked about his own crappy sight, about how without his glasses he couldn’t make out a damn thing, even if it was right in front of him. Maybe that was why he hadn’t noticed his own growing feelings for Nathanael, as they quietly crept up on him, gradually filling the cracks and holes in his heart left by his own immature feelings for Adrien.

Now though, now he knew just what he was feeling, and it terrified him right down to his very core. Because he wasn’t SUPPOSED to love Nathanael, not like this. As a friend, sure, he could love him all he wanted like that. But in such a deep and intimate way like Nino now recognised he’d been feeling for, heck he didn’t know how long at this point? No. He, they’d promised, albeit jokingly, that they wouldn’t.

Yet here he was, undeniably and irrefutably in love with Nathanael.

Love. Nino rolled that word around in his mind, feeling his stomach do a total acrobatics show that would put even Ladybug herself to shame. Yeah, that was definitely the right word, wasn’t it? 

He snuck another glance at Nathanael, catching his gaze in a moment of sheer bad luck. Nino’s cheeks blazed, mirroring the other man’s heavy blush as Nath swiftly looked back down at his screen.

——————

Ah, he’d been caught staring, hadn’t he? Nathanael held back a groan, knowing that would only draw his friend’s attention more. He had only meant to eye him for a moment, to check if Nino was handling all this any better than he was. Heck, Nath didn’t even get an answer, the moment he had caught Nino staring back he’d swiftly ducked his head. 

Nathanael bit down on his lip, just hoping that those gorgeous pools of molten gold weren’t bearing down on him, questioning just why he’d been staring like a total creep. Which he hadn’t meant to do, seriously! But Nino had been so lost in thought, brow knitted oh so tight in a way that he only ever did when he thought he wasn’t being watched. Nathanael couldn’t have helped but wonder just what had been on his closest friend’s mind at that moment. Was it perhaps him? He could hope, despite how impossible that seemed.

No, he would never be someone that weighed so heavily on Nino’s mind. How could he ever hope to be when the man had such people as Adrien occupying his thoughts? A twang of jealousy shot through his heart, one he found impossible to ignore as he stared down at his phone in his lap. 

For just a few moments, as their lips had met that last time, Nathanael had thought that maybe, just maybe, there had been something there. It had been stupid of him to think that, he KNEW it. Yet he hadn’t been able to let go of that feeling, of that desire to… to what? To have Nino throw that beautifully soft and lovesick gaze his way, to be stared at as though he were absolutely everything one could ever want or need.

Though really, how could anyone not want that? To be loved in such an incredibly warm and genuine way, to be cared for with a devotion unlike anything Nathanael felt he was capable of. Nino practically oozed compassion and love. How was Nath supposed to not witness that, to even experience a great deal of it for himself and not end up completely enamoured with the man?

Of course Alix had been great. She’d been spunky and bright and overwhelmingly passionate in all the right ways that had left Nathanael both smiling endlessly and near constantly exhausted. His love for her had been like chasing a storm, wild and electric, and yet it had never let him rest and just enjoy the quiet moments.

Yet with Nino even a night in with just the two of them curled up on their crappy second hand couch, a cheap pizza between them and some terrible B grade horror flick, was somehow a perfect experience in its own. The lulls of silence were comfortable, easy and never awkward.

… Unlike right now, where everything was awkward.

Nathanael risked another glance in Nino’s direction, finding the brunet staring down at his knees as he hugged them to his chest. There was such a vulnerability to him that left Nath wanting to do nothing more than reach out and take every little pain of Nino’s away. Instead he settled for laying a hand upon his shoulder and offering up the best supportive smile he could muster.

“Still thinking about Adrien?” Nathanael asked softly, cringing a little at how violently Nino flinched.

“I- Actually, nah. Not really,” came Nino’s reply, with a certain vagueness that had his friend raising a questioning brow in his direction.  
“I mean, a little, but not mostly, you know? I think I’m… not over him, no, but he’s not haunting my thoughts like he was earlier today.”

A slow nod was given in reply as Nathanael tried hopelessly to decipher just what Nino ment.

“Did something happened that changed that? Not that I’m not happy for you, you deserve better than to sit there upset over a guy that’s as incredibly dense as him. No offence, Adrien’s a really nice guy! But he’s really thick when it comes to things like this.”

“None taken,” Nino replied with a brief laugh, the sound like warm honey to Nathanael’s ears. Ah, he could drown in that laugh…  
“I just realised some stuff is all. Nothing major, man.”

A lie. A complete and total lie. 

“It’s got to be pretty big if it’s gotten your mind off of Adrien. Did you finally figure out how to get your latest track to work? Or remember that missing spice in your mother’s tagine? I’ll admit, I’ve been craving it for the past few weeks.” Nathanael laughed this time, albeit in a more awkward fashion. Not that said awkwardness went noticed by Nino, who was now staring at him with an unreadable expression. Before Nath could even say anything about it Nino was leaning in, until their noses were almost touching.

“Nothing like that, Nath. I just- Look, feel free to tell me if I’m steppin’ outta line or if you don’t wanna hear me saying this kinda stuff, okay? But I gotta get this all off my chest.”

There was a beat of complete and total silence as Nathanael scrambled for a response. Eventually he gave up on speaking altogether and just let his body do the talking for him, settling on a pathetically shaky nod. Ugh, nice job, Kurtzberg. Way to look like your nervous, anxiety ridden teenage self.

Nino on the other hand, looked mildly relieved to have been given the get go, and the moment Nathanael was done nodding with all the steadiness of a newborn lamb taking it’s first steps, he continued on.

“Thanks man. So I- I guess I’ve just been doing some thinking. Like, soul searching and junk. Looking at things from a different perspective. I kinda let my feelings for Adrien blind me to more than just his complete and total heterosexuality,” Nino snorted, eyes rolling at his own denseness. “I kinda let my love for him just consume my heart. Which woulda been cool if we were dating. But we weren’t. So I just ended up blocking out any OTHER potential feelings and relationships. Which now that I’m thinking back on it, was hella stupid of me.”

Nathanael hated how his heart wrenched, as though in fear of breaking for a second time that night. But if Nino had realised there was someone else who might make him happy then should he, as his friend, support that? Of course Nath knew he should. Of course he did. Even if it hurt, almost felt as a physical pain, as a dull ache in his chest that just wouldn’t go away.

“It wasn’t stupid. At least, I don’t think you were being that. Love is blind, right? It’s not your fault that you love so wholly and powerfully that you can’t see anything else that surrounds it. That just makes you committed and passionate,” Nathanael replied as he suppressed a heavy sigh. “Did… Did you realise that there’s someone else that you like?”

The nod Nino gave in reply was enough to make Nathanael want to cry.

“Yeah man. That’s pretty frickin spot on. I feel like I should of seen it coming though. Like, of course I was gonna fall and fall hard. Especially with…” at that Nino trailed off, his cheeks taking on a dark blaze of a glow that could almost put fire itself to shame.   
“Especially with the relationship we have. I always figured I’d never be able to do the whole sex without feelings thing. I get too attached, Nath.”

Oh.  
OH.

Nathanael’s eyes went impossibly wide as realisation came crashing down on him. There could only be one person Nino could be talking about, and it was the guy who was currently pointing at himself like a dumbstruck idiot.

“Y-You… Are you saying that you- with ME?” Nath stuttered out, loathing the sound of his own voice. He hadn’t sounded like such a nervous wreck around Nino since high school. Yet here he was. 

Nino’s response was a bashful nod and an equally as such smile.

“Yeah you. I- I don’t even know for how long now, dude. I just know that once I stopped envisioning Dri and I together, that I was able to see everything I’d spent years telling myself were just ‘friendly feelings’,” he chuckled weakly, scratching at his still heated cheeks. “I don’t just like your smile, I love it. Living with you isn’t just convenient, it’s amazing and I don’t think I ever wanna live with anyone else.” 

That certainly went beyond just a slight confession of ‘I think I might like you. Like, in a romantic sorta way’. Which really, was what Nathanael had at the most been hoping for. 

Yet here he was, with Nino pretty much professing his love for him. How was he meant to react to that?

“Are- Are you being serious? Please tell me you’re being serious, Ni. I don’t think I could take a joke like that right now…”

Swiftly Nino was reaching out, taking Nathanael’s hands within his own and clutching them as though they were his last lifeline.

“I’d NEVER joke about something like this! I’m being legit serious here, man! I… I’m pretty sure that I’ve fallen for ya,” he replied, his voice falling to a nervous mutter. “I know we both just got our hearts smashed to itty bitty pieces like records with a hammer, but I- these feelings are genuine, Nath.”

One look in those gorgeous golden eyes and Nathanael knew Nino was being entirely honest, knew that the man was bearing his shattered heart before him, just pleading for him to be gentle with it. Thus he decided right there and then to respond with the honesty that Nino deserved.

A soft smile pulled at Nathanael’s lips as he offered the brunet’s hands a gentle squeeze, before leaning in and closing the remaining space between them. This time it was Nath who initiated the intimate meeting of lips, and this time neither one pulled away.


End file.
